[Ferro-Alloys.com] Groote Eylandt Mining Company Pty Ltd (GEMCO) has resumed export sales, marking an important milestone in its recovery following the impacts caused by Tropical Cyclone Megan in March 2024.

The first shipment of manganese ore is being loaded and is expected to leave GEMCO’s newly reconstructed wharf in the coming days. Export sales are expected to increase over the June 2025 quarter and return to normalised rates over FY26. 

Tropical Cyclone Megan was an intense weather system that produced record rainfall of 681mm and some of the strongest wind gusts recorded in 20 years. It flooded mining pits and caused significant damage to infrastructure, resulting in the temporary suspension of operations at GEMCO. Recovery activities began as soon as it was safe to do so and included dewatering pits and repairing or replacing damaged infrastructure.

The GEMCO team has also worked closely with the broader Groote Eylandt community to support their recovery, with efforts focused on repairing key infrastructure, enabling the delivery of supplies and the restoration of essential services.

GEMCO estimates more than 317,000 hours were invested in the wharf recovery and rebuild, with more than 970 tonnes of steel and 740 tonnes of concrete removed from the seabed. A critical bridge connecting the northern pits of the Western Leases mining area and the processing plant was also rebuilt.

South32 Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Torres said “This is a major milestone in GEMCO’s recovery that follows many months of tireless work by our people.

“Tropical Cyclone Megan severely impacted operations at GEMCO, requiring a recovery effort of immense scale and complexity. Our teams have done an outstanding job in rebuilding damaged infrastructure and preparing to resume export sales, and I’d like to thank everyone that has been involved to date, including the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) and the NT Government for their support.

“Throughout this activity, we’ve remained focused on the safety and wellbeing of our workforce and the Groote Eylandt community, including by supporting the community with their recovery efforts.”

Source: South 32 19 MAY 2025

• [Editor:tianyawei]